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September 10, 2025
Two high school students in Las Vegas have demonstrated that civics isn’t just a lesson in history class. With the help of State Senator James Ohrenschall, students Ethan Cohen and Meyer DeLee drafted a bill designed to fight antisemitism in Nevada. When that bill, SB 179, becomes effective on October 1, 2025, it will make two significant changes to Nevada law: (1) it will require the Nevada Equal Rights Commission to consider whether an alleged unlawful discriminatory practice in housing, employment, or public accommodation was motivated by antisemitism; and (2) it will specifically define what constitutes antisemitism.
Nevada will join approximately 46 countries, 34 states, and the District of Columbia in adopting or recognizing the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s “working definition” of antisemitism, including the Alliance’s contemporary examples.[1] The working definition states:
Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.
SB 179 takes effect as antisemitic incidents continue to rise across the United States, including in the workplace. In its 2025 J7 Annual Report on Antisemitism, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reported that there were 9,354 antisemitic incidents in the United States in 2024. See annual report here, p. 29. This is the highest level ever recorded in the 46 years that the ADL has conducted the audit and represents an 893% increase in such incidents over the last ten years. See ADL’s Audit of Antisemitic Incidents 2024.
We live in fraught times. Employers should follow Mr. Cohen’s and Mr. DeLee’s example and take proactive steps to foster a bias-free workplace. This includes documenting in an employee handbook or elsewhere the company’s anti-discrimination policies and its expectations concerning civility and behavior in the workplace. Also consider conducting annual or semi-annual training to ensure that employees understand what constitutes discrimination, are aware of the employer’s anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies, and acknowledge the potential consequences of non-compliance.
The author of this article, Rachael Luken Carp, is a member of the Bars of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. This article is designed to provide one perspective regarding recent legal developments, and is not intended to serve as legal advice in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Nevada, or any other jurisdiction, nor does it establish an attorney-client relationship with any reader of the article where one does not exist. Always consult an attorney with specific legal issues.
[1] Founded in 1998, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance is an intergovernmental organization with 35 Member Countries (including the United States) and eight Observer Countries.
